An arms race is underway in the development and deployment of new technologies in warfare, including artificial intelligence (AI). Rather than making battlefields safer for civilians, these technologies often increase risks and cause significant harm.

Exploring how international humanitarian law applies to ICT activities in armed conflict, and how civilians can be protected in digital warfare.

Historian

Geneva (ICRC) - A devastating pattern of warfare is eroding the foundations of civilian life in the Middle East.

Considering the many international armed conflicts around the world, including the latest escalations in the Middle East, the following seeks to recall some of the important principles and rules of in...

Head of Policy & Research Unit

YouTube video by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

When law is read in good faith, it becomes a shield. GC IV’s purpose is simple: protect human beings in war.

Helen Obregón Gieseken: Senior Legal Adviser, International Committee of the

Does IHL create an obligation to ensure that medical facilities receive adequate supplies? If so, what practical measures are required?

The Fundamental Principles are living commitments that must be exercised and defended, to keep humanity alive in the darkest of times.

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Le directeur général du CICR Pierre Krähenbühl décrit la situation de l'aide humanitaire à Gaza et le rôle joué dans la libération des otages et des prisonniers palestiniens, soulignant un niveau de d...

Call for Papers: “Before War: Prepare to Comply with International Humanitarian Law” Deadline for Submission of Abstract: 01 December 2025 Decision whether Abstract has been selected: 20 December 2025...

Beyond physically helping people caught up in war, at the International Committee of the Red Cross, our legal experts analyse and classify wars. Why do we do this? Because recognizing a conflict under international law forms the basis of our confidentially dialogue with warring parties and their le

The legal classification of armed conflict is key for understanding what rules of IHL apply to that specific context.

Legally defining and classifying armed conflicts has real-world consequences. Warring parties must know and respect international humanitarian law and preserve humanity in the chaos of war. In this video, the ICRC's Chief Legal Officer, Cordula Droege, explains how a war or “armed conflict” is defin

Alarmed by widespread violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) in conflicts around the world and the resulting unconscionable human (…)

Whether and at what point groups of civilians become parties to armed conflicts, what their legal obligations are, and who is responsible for their conduct.